Written Answers Nos. 856-874
857. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on a matter (details supplied); the details of yearly numbers or reliable estimates in each of the years 2001 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19236/21]
View answerMy Department has responsibility for the provision of diplomatic clearance to foreign military and State aircraft to land in and overfly the State.
Questions with regards to the financial operations of Shannon airport and the operations of civil aircraft, including those under contract to other States, should be directed to the Department of Transport.
Permission for foreign military aircraft to overfly the State is subject to strict conditions. These routinely include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations. Overflights by US military aircraft are permitted without prior notification, where the aircraft are unarmed, carry only cargo and passengers and comply with navigational requirements.
The table below provides details of the overflights granted permission from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020, along with details of the number of aircraft granted permission to land at Shannon airport in the same time period.
This data has been compiled by staff working remotely due to Covid-19 restrictions. It is limited to the most recent six full years, for which complete electronic records are available. Staff do not have access to the physical files required to compile data for the earlier time range. I will be in direct contact at a later stage with the Deputy with regard to the remainder of the data he has requested.
|
- |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Landing requests received |
588 |
592 |
402 |
384 |
475 |
341 |
|
Total Landings minus cancellations/refusals |
581 |
585 |
399 |
381 |
454 |
305 |
|
Overflight requests received |
513 |
1427 |
1420 |
724 |
734 |
488 |
|
Total overflights minus cancellations/refusals |
511 |
1427 |
1419 |
724 |
734 |
487 |
858. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19506/21]
View answerIn line with Government guidance at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19, the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
Irish citizens who are resident overseas should make contact through the local Irish Embassy or Consulate General.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has inquired, an official from the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant on 14 April 2021 to provide an update on the status of the passport application.
859. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19508/21]
View answerIn line with Government guidance that at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19 the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
Irish citizens who are resident overseas should make contact through the local Irish Embassy or Consulate General.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has inquired, an official from the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant’s father on 16 April 2021 to provide an update on the status of the passport application.
860. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19509/21]
View answerIn line with Government guidance at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19, the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
Irish citizens who are resident overseas should make contact through the local Irish Embassy or Consulate General.
The Passport Service continues to process all renewals for work-related travel where evidence is provided. Adult first time applications require a very high level of verification to protect the integrity of the Irish passport.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has inquired, an official from the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant on 16 April 2021 to provide an update on the status of the passport application.
861. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff currently working in the passport section; if staff from the passport section have been redeployed to other Departments during the current level 5 lockdown; if so, their role in those Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19512/21]
View answerThe Passport Service is composed of three constituent offices located in Mount Street, Dublin, Balbriggan, County Dublin and South Mall, Cork. The total number of staff employed across all offices of the Passport Service is 458.
To assist with the wider State response to COVID-19, Passport Service personnel have been redeployed, at the request of different Departments, into other, essential public service roles, such as contact tracing for the HSE, assisting the Department of Social Protection to facilitate the processing of COVID-19 related benefits, providing consular assistance to Irish citizens overseas and assisting the Department of Health.
In line with Government guidance for Level 5, the Passport Service continues to provide an essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19. Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
The Passport Service continues to operate its Customer Service Hub by WebChat to facilitate customer queries.
862. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if an aircraft (details supplied) was approved to land at Shannon Airport; if it was carrying weapons or munitions; if US military personnel were transferred from this US Air Force Learjet to another aircraft which was at Shannon Airport during these times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19627/21]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the provision of diplomatic clearance. Arrangements under which such permission is granted for foreign military aircraft, including US aircraft, to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions.
These routinely include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form any part of military exercises or operations.
In relation to the specific landing to which the Deputy has referred, I can confirm that the requesting Embassy confirmed in advance of the landing that the aircraft met the required conditions.
863. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if foreign births registration applications are still being processed such as in the case of a person (details supplied); the expected timeline of these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19717/21]
View answerThe processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications has been temporarily paused since Ireland entered Level 5 restrictions of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19.
Prior to this pause, it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to a heavy demand on the FBR service, the complex nature of FBR applications, as well as constraints on output due to previous COVID-19 restrictions.
The FBR application referenced was registered on 28 November 2019, and is currently waiting to be processed and all related documents are being stored in a secure environment.
The delay in the service is regretted. The FBR service is scheduled to resume once Level 3 restrictions of the framework are in place. Furthermore, plans are in place to provide increased resources to deal with arrears.
864. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19730/21]
View answerIn line with Government guidance on Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19, the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
Irish citizens who are resident overseas should make contact through the local Irish Embassy or Consulate General.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, an official from the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant's father on 16 April 2021 to provide an update on the status of the passport application.
865. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if all vacancies (details supplied) are advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19815/21]
View answer866. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if any person can apply for a position (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19870/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 865 and 866 together.
There are no State Boards within the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
867. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the diplomatic steps he is taking through the EU or through Ireland’s seat on the UN Security Council to ensure that the 300,000 Palestinian citizens in occupied east Jerusalem are allowed to express their democratic right to vote in the forthcoming Palestinian elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19960/21]
View answer868. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has or will call in the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland to ensure that they are clear that Ireland wishes to see the 300,000 Palestinian citizens in occupied east Jerusalem being allowed to vindicate their democratic right to vote in the forthcoming Palestinian elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19961/21]
View answer889. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to help ensure a meaningful election observation to ensure free and fair elections take place in the upcoming Palestinian legislative council election in view of the statement by EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff (details supplied). [20544/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 867, 868 and 889 together.
I welcomed the decree issued on 15 January by President Mahmoud Abbas on the holding of Palestinian elections this year.
The holding of elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and in Gaza is a crucial step towards Palestinian unity and reconciliation, giving a voice to Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, and renewing the legitimacy of national institutions, including a democratically elected Parliament and Government.
We continue to use our position in the EU and our current seat on the UN Security Council to highlight the importance of Israel's cooperation in order to hold Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem. Ireland's Ambassador to the UN did so most recently at the UN Security Council on 25 March.
Election monitoring is an important part of democratic process and Ireland strongly supports EU efforts to engage in EU monitoring of the Palestinian elections. I urge Israel to facilitate these important elections, including in East Jerusalem.
869. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the diplomatic steps he is taking through the EU or through Ireland’s seat on the UN Security Council to halt the forcible evictions and home demolitions targeting hundreds of Palestinian families in occupied east Jerusalem particularly in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood; if he has or plans to call in the Israeli Ambassador regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19962/21]
View answer894. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the imminent eviction of eight Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of Israeli-occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem and due to be replaced with illegal Israeli settlers; the actions that Ireland will be taking to ensure Israel does not carry out this war crime given that these evictions are in contravention of international law and would constitute a war crime of forcible transfer of parts of the population of an occupied territory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20742/21]
View answer897. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports of the imminent eviction of up to 16 Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20817/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 869, 894 and 897 together.
Ireland and the EU have consistently called on the Israeli Government to uphold its international legal obligations, including under the Fourth Geneva Convention, on the treatment of civilian populations. Jerusalem is one of the permanent status issues to be settled in a final peace agreement.
I have consistently highlighted the issues surrounding illegal settlements, including evictions and seizures of property, which are a major driver of the continuing conflict and an obstacle to peace. In my statement to the UN Security Council on 26 January, I urged Israel to halt continued settlement expansion, demolition activity and evictions, including in East Jerusalem.
I met the Israeli Ambassador on 18 March and conveyed in the strongest terms my concerns on these issues and urged the Israeli authorities to cease this activity.
Ireland provides humanitarian assistance, legal and other supports to specific development projects to improve the situation of Palestinians. Ireland funds a number of civil society partners that are active on human rights issues which impact specifically on Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including in relation to the evictions which the Deputy has raised.
I am aware of the situation in the Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, and the longstanding threat of eviction faced by Palestinian residents in these areas. Ireland’s Representative Office in Ramallah has visited the site along with other diplomatic representatives in recent months and continues to monitor the situation closely, in cooperation with partners on the ground.
871. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagement he has had with the UK Government in relation to the gun that was found by workmen at a house near Moy, County Tyrone on 12 April 2021 that was later handed over to police in a County Armagh police station (details supplied). [20013/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, an issue of this nature is, in the first instance, a police matter and, where there is a complaint, a matter for the Police Ombudsman. As such, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
With regard to your reference to cases involving the Glenanne Gang, the Government welcomed the announcement by the PSNI on 30 November 2019 that former Chief Constable Jon Boutcher would head an Independent Police Team to conduct an analytical report on the Glenanne Gang series of cases. We are conscious that this work is very relevant to a number of cases of the utmost concern for victims’ families and survivors, both North and South, who suffered in the murderous attacks by the Glenanne Gang. It is to be hoped that the report being conducted by Chief Constable Boutcher will contribute to the long process of justice, truth and acknowledgement of what happened in these awful cases, where collusion is a feature.
The Government will be supportive of facilitating this, subject to the requirements of the law, as we have other investigative processes in Northern Ireland, in relation to the attacks conducted by the Glenanne Gang and of course other cases from the Troubles.The Government also continues to actively pursue the implementation of the all-Party Dáil motions which call on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as well as the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, the bombing of Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk and the murder of Seamus Ludlow.We will continue to engage with the British Government, as we have done at every opportunity on both a political and official level, to pursue all possible avenues to achieve progress on these issues and until a satisfactory resolution is found.
